This publication has been discontinued and is replaced by 5676.0 - Business Indicators, Australia.

FINAL ISSUE

SEPTEMBER QTR KEY FIGURES

TREND(b)

Sep 2000

Jun 2001

Sep 2001

Jun 2001 to

Sep 2000 to

Sep 2001

Sep 2001

$m

$m

$m

% change

% change

Inventories

87,319

87,935

87,724

-0.2

0.5

Sales

Manufacturing

60,821

61,090

61,801

1.2

1.6

Wholesale trade

54,337

54,563

55,616

1.9

2.4

.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED(b)

Sep 2000

Jun 2001

Sep 2001

Jun 2001 to

Sep 2000 to

Sep 2001

Sep 2001

$m

$m

$m

% change

% change

Inventories

87,591

88,186

87,732

-0.5

0.2

Sales

Manufacturing

60,962

61,329

61,893

0.9

1.5

Wholesale trade

54,586

54,453

55,857

2.6

2.3

(a) A break in series occurred in Wholesale Trade between the June and September 1999 quarters. See paragraphs 39 and 40 of the Explanatory Notes.(b) Estimates for private businesses, in volume terms.

SEPTEMBER QTR KEY POINTS

INVENTORIES

The trend estimate (in volume terms) of inventories held by private businesses for the September quarter 2001 is $87,724m, a decrease of $211m (-0.2%) from the revised June quarter estimate of $87,935m. The September quarter 2001 estimate is 0.5% higher than the September quarter 2000 estimate.

Wholesale trade (down $387m, -1.3%) was the major contributor to the fall in inventories in the September quarter 2001, with a decrease also recorded in Mining (down $50m, -1.5%). These decreases were partially offset by an increase in Retail trade (up $228m, 1.0%).

SALES

The trend estimate for Wholesale trade sales increased by $1,053m (1.9%), continuing the growth in the previous two quarters. The trend estimate for Manufacturing sales has also increased in the past three quarters.

NOTES

FINAL ISSUE

As foreshadowed in the information paper, Improvements to Australian Bureau of Statistics Quarterly Business Indicators (Cat. no. 5677.0), this is the final issue of Inventories and Sales, Selected Industries, Australia.

This publication will be replaced by a new publication titled Business Indicators, Australia (Cat. no. 5676.0). The first release of 5676.0 will be in respect of the September quarter 2001 and will be released on 30 January 2002. The first release of the new publication will be sent to subscribers of this publication.

The new publication will include series for inventories and income from sales of goods and services which are largely consistent with those in this publication. Series will be adjusted using the concurrent seasonal adjustment method rather than the existing annual forward factor method, as this method produces more accurate initial seasonally adjusted estimates. From the December quarter 2001, the new publication will include current price estimates and chain volume measures for income from sales of goods and services in original, seasonally adjusted and trend terms for most industries (with the exceptions being Mining, Construction, Electricity gas and water, and Services to finance and insurance where original data only will be available from the March quarter 2001). In addition, the new publication will include original data for income from sales of goods and services by state/territory.

In addition to inventories and income from sales of goods and services, Business Indicators, Australia will also include series relating to profits, and from December quarter 2001, wages and salaries.

CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE

This issue incorporates revised seasonal factors following an annual reanalysis.

REVISIONS

Revisions have been made to the June quarter 2001 estimates as a result of responses received or revised after publication of the previous issue.

As advised in the last issue, following the introduction of the Quarterly Economic Activity Survey, the ABS used the results of a parallel run of this survey and the previous Survey of Inventories, Sales and Services conducted in the March quarter 2001, to link the estimates from the previous survey to the new survey. As a result, estimates for earlier quarters were revised in the June quarter 2001 publication. Following the identification of a small number of reporting errors, the ABS has again revised estimates for earlier quarters, but the linking process has ensured that the movement estimates are largely unchanged. Seasonally adjusted and trend estimates have also been revised as a result of the annual review discussed above. Revisions are applied to all series in this publication and the impact can vary at the industry level.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information about these and related statistics, contact Mark Wise on 02 9268 4241, or the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

INVENTORIES: Trend estimates - Chain volume measures(a)

ALL SELECTED INDUSTRIES(b)

The trend estimate (in volume terms) of inventories held by private businesses has declined in the last two quarters after slowing growth rates in the previous two quarters.

MINING

The trend estimate for Mining inventories has continued to fall from the most recent peak in June quarter 1998. Mining inventories are at the lowest level since June quarter 1989, however the rate of decline has slowed in the last four quarters.

MANUFACTURING

The trend estimate for Manufacturing inventories has remained unchanged in the September quarter 2001, after decreasing in the previous two quarters. Metal product manufacturing recorded the largest decrease (down $170m, -4.0%). This was offset by increases in Machinery and equipment and Food, beverage and tobacco (up $100m, 1.3% and $91m, 1.2% respectively).

(a) Reference year for chain volume measures is 1999-2000.(b) A break in series occurred in Wholesale trade between the June and September 1999 quarters. See paragraphs 39 and 40 of the Explanatory Notes.

WHOLESALE TRADE(b)

The trend estimate for Wholesale trade inventories has declined for the third successive quarter. The September quarter 2001 estimate is 3.0% lower than September quarter 2000.

RETAIL TRADE

Growth in the trend estimate for Retail trade inventories has slowed in the past three quarters. The September quarter 2001 estimate is $228m (1.0%) higher than the June quarter 2001 estimate and $1,541m (7.4%) higher than September quarter 2000.

The trend estimate for inventories held by Other selected industries has remained unchanged after recording increases in the previous four quarters. The September quarter 2001 estimate of $1,377m is $191m (16.1%) higher than September quarter 2000.

(a) Reference year for chain volume measures is 1999-2000.(b) A break in series occurred in Wholesale trade between the June and September 1999 quarters. See paragraphs 39 and 40 of the Explanatory Notes.

SALES: Trend estimates - Chain volume measures(a)

MANUFACTURING SALES

The trend estimate for Manufacturing sales has increased in the past three quarters and is $980m (1.6%) greater than the estimate for September quarter 2000. The major contributor to the increase in the current quarter was Wood and paper products which has recorded the third consecutive quarter of growth. Textiles, clothing and footwear and Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing have both recorded decreases for the fourth consecutive quarter.

WHOLESALE TRADE SALES(b)

Wholesale trade sales have increased by 1.9% in the current quarter following increases in the previous two quarters. The September quarter 2001 estimate of $55,616m is $1,279m (2.4%) higher than September quarter 2000.

(a) Reference year for chain volume measures is 1999-2000.(b) A break in series occurred in Wholesale trade between the June and September 1999 quarters. See paragraphs 39 and 40 of the Explanatory Notes.